Roche struck a cancer drug licensing deal with China's Hansoh that could exceed $15 billion

Roche entered a strategic collaboration and license agreement with China's Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group covering antibody-drug conjugate programs for cancer, Hansoh said on Monday. Antibody-drug conjugates are known as ADCs.

Hansoh will receive $400 million upfront and a $110 million payment on the first anniversary of the agreement. It is eligible for potentially more than $15 billion in milestone payments tied to development, regulatory approval and commercialization, along with tiered royalties on potential future product sales.

The collaboration covers two preclinical Hansoh ADC programs and multiple programs built on targets Roche proposed, using Hansoh's proprietary ADC technology platform.

Hansoh will handle the initial stage of development, continuing through the finish of Phase Ia studies conducted worldwide. Roche will take over development of the programs outside mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Hansoh retains the rights to development, regulatory registration and commercialization of the programs in those four markets.

Hansoh can also select up to two programs and contribute to their development outside those markets. In return, it would become eligible for incremental upside from commercialization of those two programs in the United States.

"Building on the ADC partnership we announced last year, we are delighted to further strengthen our collaboration with Roche," Eliza Sun, executive director of the board at Hansoh Pharma, said in a statement.

"Expanding our strategic collaboration with Hansoh marks an important step in advancing our ADC vision," Boris L. Zaïtra, head of corporate business development at Roche, said in a statement.

The agreement is the second between the two companies in the ADC field. The companies have worked together before on therapies for colorectal cancer, according to Reuters. The deal adds to Roche's run of dealmaking in China, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The announcement follows a week in which China proposed export controls on five biomedical technologies while leaving licensing deals, collaborations and outsourced research tied to them untouched. Government statistics show Chinese drug developers struck 81 licensing deals in the first half of 2026, worth as much as $110 billion.

Roche also secured a license last week for an experimental obesity therapy from Rona Therapeutics in a deal that could total $1.16 billion.